freeman



A. E. FREEMAN.

CHUCK FITTING FOR BOATS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 22, HJIB.

Pittfinted Nov. 18, 1919.

Inventor. Awe z M UNITED snares PATENT orrion ARTHUR E. FREEMAN, OF TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA. a

Specification of Letters Patent.

CHUCK-FITTING FOR BOATS.

Patented N 0v. 18, 191% Application filed March 22, 1918. Serial No. 223,974.

same.

The principal objects ofthe invention are to devise a chock fitting which will hold the boat securely in place in the chocks and upon being operated to release the boat will ease it 01f from the chocks in such a manner as to prevent the boatbeing damaged.

A further and important object is to devise a chock fitting which will have no tendency to release through the pressure of the load but it may be operated to release the load with very great ease. v

A still further object is to provide a simple form of gripe holder to operate in conjunction with the means for holding the keel of the boat.

The principal feature of the invention consists in the novel construction and arrangement of a rotatable member upon which the keel is supported, whereby the keel is held securely locked and upon the. rotation of said member the keel is moved definitely in an outward incline, and whereby the gripes are released simultaneously with the operation of the keel release.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved chock fitting shown from the inboard side.

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view.

Fig. 3 is an elevational view of the im board end of the fitting.

Fig. 4: is an end elevational view of the outboard end of the fitting shown in the locked position. a

Fig. 5 is an end elevational view of the outboard end of the fitting shown in the position of release. 1

Fig. 6 is an outboard elevational end View shown in the extreme position of release.

In the drawings, the block 1 which is shaped to fit the curvature of the underside of the boat at one side of the keel is rigidly secured to the deck of the ship, the outboard end 2 thereof being cut perpendicular.

3 is a bracket rigidly secured to one side of the block 1 and to the dcckhaving a horizontally aranged journal bearing 4 therein.

5 is a bracket arranged at the inboard end of the block and on the same side as the bracket 3 having the journal bearing 6.

A bar 7 which may be hollow in lZhGfOI'lll of apiece of iron pipe is journaled in the bearings 1 and 6 and extends beyond said bearings.

A cam member 8 is eccentrically secured upon the outboard end of the bar 7, the

.inner face thereof bearing against the outer face of the bracket 3. This cam member is of eccentric formation, the contour of its inner face adjacent to the bracket 3 being substantially oval, one side having a lug extension 9, thetop surfacelO of which is flat.

The keel of the boat rests upon the surface 10 when the device is in the position shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4 and as the flat surface extends past the pivot center the weight of the load holds the member looked as is clearly shown in Fig. 4E.

A finger-shaped lug 11 extends upwardly from the outward side of the flat surface 10 and engages the side of the keel of the boat as is clearly illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 41, and locks the boat securely in position.

The oval-shape of the cam member 8 at the inboard side is merged into an outwardly sloping beveled surface 12 which is arranged substantially in right angular relation to the top flat surface 10. i

It will thus be seen that a quarter turn of the cam member first withdraws the finger lug 11 from engagement with the keel of the boat and the sloping surface is then brought gradually under the keel and imparts to it a definite outward push and as the surface 12 is beveled with a definite outward slope it carries the boat in an outboard direction and in such a way that the bilge of the boat will be movedclear of the engaging surface of the block 1. The movement of the keel in slipping off the beveled face of the cam is more than sufficient to take up the average stretch or slack in the falls, consequently the boatisieased off into the falls with a very gentle action and no lifting of the boat is required.

The bar 7 is rotated by means of a cranked lever 13 which is keyed to the inner end and held in the locked position by a ring 14 carried on the bracket 15 secured to the block 1. A spur 16 is formed upon the boss of the lever 18 and when the lever is in the upright position as shown in Figs. 1 and 3 the spur projects downwardly and forms a holder for the boat gripe which is not shown in the drawings but which is of very common use, being merely a rod or chain secured to the gunwale of the boat to hold the boat securely upon the checks.

It will be seen that upon the release of the lever 13 and its movement to swing the cam 8 the spur is swung upwardly and automatically releases the gripe.

A crank 17 is secured upon the extreme inner end of the bar 7 and to this crank is secured a bar 18 which may be connected to the companion chock fitting at the opposite end of the boat so that by the operation of the one lever both ends of the boat will be released simultaneously.

It will be noted particularly that when the boat is in place the keel rests upon the.

horizontally arranged top flatsurface of the cam member and there is no tendency whatever for the device to release itself, but a veryslight pressure upon the operating lever will cause it to rotate and effect the release.

The peculiar shape of the cam member is such that as the flat top surface extends slightly beyond the center and retains the device locked, upon rotation it effects a slight lift which results in the freeing of the boat from stickingeither upon the cam or chock. The oval shape then recedes and allows the boat to settle against the sloping block 1 which starts a wedging action and this action is taken up and continued by the bringing. of the sloping surface 12 immediately beneath the keel.

What I claim as my invention is 1. A chock fittingfor boats, comprising, a block engaging the inboard side of the boat, 'a member rotatably arranged at the outboard side of said block on an axis transverse to the keel of the boat and supporting the keel and having an upward extension engaging the outer side of the keel, said rotatable member being adapted on rotation to efiect the outward movement of the boat from the block and means for rotating said member to release the boat.

2. A chock fitting for boats, comprising, a block engaging the inboard side of the boat, a rotatable member supported at the outboard side of the block and having its upper surface engaging the full width of the keel and an upwardly extending lug engaging the side of the keel to lock the boat in place, said member also having an outwardly and downwardly sloping surface, and means for rotating said member to disengage the lug from the keel and to bring the sloping surface into contact with the bottom of the keel to effect the release of the boat.

3. A chock fitting for boats, comprising, a block engaging the inboard side of the boat, a rotatable member eccentrically sup ported at the outboard side of said block and having a horizontal portion normally engaging and supporting the bottom of the keel and a lug projection at the outer side engaging the side of the keel, the perimeter of said eccentric member merging from the horizontal surface into an outwardly and downwardly sloping surface, and means for rotating said eccentric member to withdraw the locking lug from engagement with the keel and to move the sloping surface underneath the keel.

4. A chock fitting for boats, comprising, a block, engaging the inboard side of the boat, a rod supported in journals secured at the side of said block, a rotatable member eccentrically secured upon the outboard end of said rod and having a projection adapted to engage the outboard side of the keel and formed with a sloping surface adapted on the rotation of the rod to move beneath the keel, and an operating lever rigidly secured to the inboard end of said rod.

5. A chock fitting for boats, comprising, a block engaging the inboard side of the boat, a rod journaled at the side of said block, a member secured to the outboard end'of said rod and supporting the keel and adapted on rotationto release the keel, a lever rigidly secured to the inboard end of said rod and having a gripe hook formed thereon, and means secured to the block for locking the lever.

6. A chock fitting for boats, comprising, a block engaging the inboard side of the boat, a rotatable member eccentrically sup ported at the outboard side of said block and having a horizontal portion normally engaging and supporting the bottom of the keel and a lug projection at the outer side eugaging the side of the keel, the perimeter of said eccentric member being formed with :1. reducing radius and the surface merging from the horizontal to an outwardly and downwardly sloping plane effecting the lowering of the boat and the subsequent outward guidance of the keel.

ARTHUR E. FREEMAN. 

